2011: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Had a strong season individually, but the Saints were upset by the Seahawks in the first round of the playoffs and failed to defend their Super Bowl title.2010: Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu/ Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Polamalu only played five games because on lingering knee injures and the Steelers missed the playoffs a year after winning the Super Bowl. Fitzgerald still hada strong season, collecting over 1,000 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns.2009: Brett Favre. He was traded to the New York Jets after an off-season battle with the Green Bay Packers, following his retirement, then un-retirement. He started strong, but faded down the stretch and the Jets failed to make the playoffs. His final three seasons were inconsistent and he also went through off-the-field issues.2008: Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young. He led the Titans to their first playoff appearance in four years, but has fallen out of favor with the franchise since that season. The organization plans to cut or trade Young once the lockout is lifted.2007: Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander. A fractured foot hobbled Alexander, the reigning MVP, throughout the season and he missed six games. His production declined and he never returned to his MVP-form.2006: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. He missed seven games during the season after dealing with a sports hernia. He failed to make the Pro-Bowl for the first time in five seasons and has not been invited since. McNabb also battled with wideout Terrell Owens throughout the season.2005: Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. A broken wrist caused him to miss one game during the season, and it was also his first year without an interception.2004: Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick. He broke his leg in a pre-season game one day after the game was released and missed 11 games that season. He then had a few off-the-field issues in the years that followed.2003: St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk. He was hampered by an ankle injury all season, and failed to match his production from previous seasons. His decline started after appearing on the Madden cover and he never rushed for 1,000 yards again.2002: Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper. Struggled all season, and had his season cut short with knee surgery after 11 games. The Vikings were 4-7 at that point.2001: Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George. He had a great season, but fumbled at a clutch point in the playoffs, which led to the top-seeded Titans losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round.2000: Detroit running back Barry Sanders. He unexpectedly retired one week before training came by sending a fax to the team.

If a game cover causes you get to an injury and have a bad season then I guess you can use the force on people and push rocks.

Drew Brees didn't get injured last season, and you can't pin the blame all on him to losing to Seattle in the wild card game. It's easy to blame the quarterback, but look back at that game, and the stats. Brees had 400 passing yards, and gave it everything he had in him, not his fault their defense sucked without play makers, and that could not run the ball for anything with Jones and Bush.

I don't think I'd even bring Favre up when a year after he was on the cover of that game he had his final outstanding year with 30+ TD's and a low of 7 Interceptions, only to go and blow the NFC Championship later on.

The Ray Lewis one is nothing. A linebacker is not going to get an interception every year, and plus, he's still playing at his age.

I don't think Barry Sanders retired because of a video game. Sanders' was tired of the Lions just patting him on the back for breaking records and not building a team around him, summed it up in his book.

I don't play Madden, and don't have plans of playing it again since the game's have been the same for so many years, but I don't think the curse myth would have effected Rodgers.

I don't really think that the curse is anything more than a player that played lights out the season before. (which got him onto the cover) The season after, it is hard to live up to the expectations of last year like Alexander, Faulk, Culpepper, McNabb, etc.

I mean, Rodgers will eventually be on the cover. Like it or not. Anybody that has played Madden this year would realize that Rodgers and the Packers are everywhere else besides the cover. Loading screens, default teams, main menu, etc. I mean, even 1 loading screen has Matt Flynn on it!!

I don't really think that the curse is anything more than a player that played lights out the season before. (which got him onto the cover) The season after, it is hard to live up to the expectations of last year like Alexander, Faulk, Culpepper, McNabb, etc.

I mean, Rodgers will eventually be on the cover. Like it or not. Anybody that has played Madden this year would realize that Rodgers and the Packers are everywhere else besides the cover. Loading screens, default teams, main menu, etc. I mean, even 1 loading screen has Matt Flynn on it!!

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I think that's because when you first play it you choose your favorite team. So all your load screens are of the team you selected..

I don't really think that the curse is anything more than a player that played lights out the season before. (which got him onto the cover) The season after, it is hard to live up to the expectations of last year like Alexander, Faulk, Culpepper, McNabb, etc.

I mean, Rodgers will eventually be on the cover. Like it or not. Anybody that has played Madden this year would realize that Rodgers and the Packers are everywhere else besides the cover. Loading screens, default teams, main menu, etc. I mean, even 1 loading screen has Matt Flynn on it!!

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I bought the Madden 08 just because it had Favre on the cover. Then I tried to play that freaking game. After about an hour of trying to figure it out I threw my controller against the wall. Screaming profanity's at John and his insidious game. The Synopsis just don't fire like they used to. That 70's lifestyle is finally catching up to me.

If a game cover causes you get to an injury and have a bad season then I guess you can use the force on people and push rocks.

Drew Brees didn't get injured last season, and you can't pin the blame all on him to losing to Seattle in the wild card game. It's easy to blame the quarterback, but look back at that game, and the stats. Brees had 400 passing yards, and gave it everything he had in him, not his fault their defense sucked without play makers, and that could not run the ball for anything with Jones and Bush.

I don't think I'd even bring Favre up when a year after he was on the cover of that game he had his final outstanding year with 30+ TD's and a low of 7 Interceptions, only to go and blow the NFC Championship later on.

The Ray Lewis one is nothing. A linebacker is not going to get an interception every year, and plus, he's still playing at his age.

I don't think Barry Sanders retired because of a video game. Sanders' was tired of the Lions just patting him on the back for breaking records and not building a team around him, summed it up in his book.

I don't play Madden, and don't have plans of playing it again since the game's have been the same for so many years, but I don't think the curse myth would have effected Rodgers.

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myths are things that are not true...it IS true that something has happened to every single player on the cover. you're welcome

just to be clear I don't really believe in curses or superstition just having fun

You are giving people too much credit to be smart enough to figure out how to use the "curse" to sabotage another player (team). It's more of a glorified popularity contest.

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LOL Oh come on, they let people vote with ESPN and it felt like everyone was choosing Vick because they wanted him to get cursed lol. That's how it came off in a way when you seen the better players constantly losing. I think if people really were picking their favorite players, it would have come down to Rodgers, Brees, Manning and Brady.

I bought the Madden 08 just because it had Favre on the cover. Then I tried to play that freaking game. After about an hour of trying to figure it out I threw my controller against the wall. Screaming profanity's at John and his insidious game. The Synopsis just don't fire like they used to. That 70's lifestyle is finally catching up to me.